


Genocider Byakuya

by KatieKomics



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Alternate Universe, Identity Reveal, Other, Pining, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-23 01:56:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21312292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatieKomics/pseuds/KatieKomics
Summary: Acclaimed novelist Toko Fukawa has noticed that a lot of recent news seems to circle around the pursuit of a faceless killer dubbed Genocider Syo. Toko uses the news as inspiration for a new novel. A crime novel. But her research takes a disturbing turn when Byakuya comes across her work.
Relationships: Fukawa Touko/Togami Byakuya
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	Genocider Byakuya

The news coverage of Genocider Syo fascinated Toko. As the investigations continued, it became her darkest source of inspiration to date. Toko eventually decided she would try her hand at writing a crime drama. Luckily, Kyoko Kirigiri was patient enough to offer insight into how investigation is undergone. Toko requested her help for the sake of authenticity.

Kyoko had been a beta reader for about a month before Toko realized there was something missing. Her own writing felt lopsided as she overlooked it. The perspective of the law enforcers was in-depth. Detailed and colourful in the way it explored their methods of investigation. The perspective of the villain deserved to be fleshed out more.

There was the rub, though. For the majority of her novel, Toko had an insider source. Kirigiri had given her the insight necessary for Toko to paint an accurate retelling of the plot she’d mapped in her head. Toko had never committed a crime before, after all.

Toko figured it was best to continue looking into Genocider Syo and write what she assumed to be accurate. It seemed to be a far better idea then looking out a person with first-hand experience like she had for the detectives.

Byakuya hadn’t been a thought in her mind at the time. At least not at that exact moment. There were other times that he occupied Toko’s mind. She had assumed that Byakuya had other things to worry about. Technically, she would be correct. This didn’t stop him from taking a concerned interest in her recent obsession with Genocider Syo.

Having an observer hanging over your shoulder isn’t exactly the ideal condition in which to be writing a novel. Especially while working on specific excerpts involving a serial killer committing her crimes. Byakuya had followed Toko to her writing desk to watch her work and comment on the distasteful nature of what she was writing. Despite the criticism leading Toko to believe Byakuya wasn’t enjoying himself, he didn’t leave.

“If you- if you are so interested,” she had said to him, “then why don’t _you_ p-proofread it!” Toko had expected Byakuya to ignore her sarcasm, but he took her finished pages and a spare pen anyways. He carefully thumbed through them, careful to keep them in order as he starting writing of his own.

When Toko looked over Byakuya’s revisions, she didn't expect anything legitimately helpful. Yet, as she flipped through the pages, she found him to be a fairly decent editor. Toko didn’t expect the level of detail he brought to his revisions.

Toko would have been lying to herself if she denied that her inner romantic wanted to make a far bigger deal out of this than was reasonable. He was helping her with her novel. She wasn’t meant to draw any meaning from it, especially considering the businesslike way he conducted himself. Then again, he always conducted himself that way.

Toko admitted to herself that she was suspicious of Byakuya, but she’d never say it out loud. He would repeatedly insist on his aversion to blood only to return revisions that, to Toko’s untrained eye, carried an air of professionalism. Knowledge of a subject she’d never thought he would take an interest in.

“Byakuya, your revisions- your revisions are very d-detailed,” she had said to him as she looked over his notes. “How d-do you know about all this?”

“That isn’t important,” Byakuya had replied matter of factly.

His conduct was off-putting to Toko. She loved Byakuya, and she was certain he knew it despite her reluctance to say those exact words. She had loved him far before her anxious mind started to carve her disturbing theory. She loved him despite it. She loved him when she had failed to convince herself that she was being ridiculous.

For research purposes, Kirigiri would confirm or deny the occasional rumour regarding the cases for Toko. Many of which would go unanswered for the sake of confidentiality, but there were a number that was shared between them.

Genocider Syo was referred to as a woman by the media. Kirigiri claimed that Syo’s gender was unconfirmed.

Genocider Syo was approximately six feet tall. Kirigiri confirmed this.

Genocider Syo was thin considering their strength. Kirigiri confirmed this.

Genocider Syo had dark hair. Kirigiri denied this. Genocider Syo’s known victims were all attractive women in their late teens to early twenties. Kirigiri stated that attractiveness is relative, but confirmed the rest.

Byakuya didn’t like to talk about what Kirigiri said was or wasn’t true.

“I don’t want to talk about him,” Byakuya had said while Toko was looking over his shoulder.

“You- you think Syo is a man?” Toko asked.

Byakuya paused as he wrote down a note. “Syo is very tall, correct?”

“Y-yes, but Kirigiri said that nobody really knows Syo’s g-gender,” Toko said. “Most- most people think Syo might b-be a very t-tall woman.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Byakuya replied coldly. “I don’t research serial killers.”

“A lot of p-people do,” Toko said. “It’s k-kinda freaky, actually. Do you ever think about how weird it is?”

“Weird to research serial killers?” Byakuya asked. “Do you not realize that you are included in that statement?”

“I- I mean,” Toko cursed internally. As eloquent as she was on paper, she could never translate that into verbal conversation. Especially around Byakuya. “D-do you ever think about how- about serial killers and how they have these weird fan bases? P-people who t-treat them like celebrities or some shit?”

“I don’t wish to think of it,” Byakuya pulled a sour expression.

Toko fumbled in her mind to change the topic of conversation. “D-do you ever- do you ever wish you were a celebrity?” She fidgeted with her hands.

“No,” Byakuya replied matter of factly without missing a beat. “Too many eyes on me at once. Leaves little room for personal business. I suppose you don’t see things the same way?”

“I mean- I’m an author, of course I want p-people to know who I am, fans are important-”

“That’s different,” Byakuya insisted. “How?” Toko asked.

“Having fans does not make you a celebrity,” Byakuya put down his pencil on the desk as he spoke. “Having too many fans is what makes somebody a celebrity.”

Toko’s suspicions came bubbling to the surface of her mind with greater frequency as her writing progressed. A focus on detectives meant a focus on the law. Law she wasn’t previously informed of. Again, she had never gotten into legal trouble and all of her knowledge was second hand.

She wanted to write an ending in which the identity of the killer was dramatically revealed by her protagonist. How exactly should she go about that? Empathy for her audience was key in this situation. What reaction did she want to account for? What mood did she want to set? If Toko was framed for a horrible crime, how would she react? She pondered this question as she sat at her writing desk and poured over her notes.

They were a sparse retelling of the story that she would use as a guide in the final scenes. She tapped her chin with the eraser end of her pencil as she looked over them.

Toko would, of course, deny accusations of being a murderer because she’d never killed before. She would get emotional right away. That wouldn’t do. The murderer in her story was stoic and calculated. Far less anxious than Toko. Would that composure break?

“Byakuya,” she called behind her to the man looking over her shoulder as she had done to him. “If- if you were accused of murder, what would you do?”

“Sue for defamation,” Byakuya’s reply was swift and cold.

“Sue,” Toko made a mental note of this. “Have you ever d-done that before? For- just for reference's sake.”

“None of your business,” Byakuya replied immediately.

Much of their time spent writing and editing in the same room was silent. Toko didn’t mind. She enjoyed just being in the same room as Byakuya. True, he was spoiled rotten. “Rich and influential and honestly a bit of a prick,” in the words of Kirigiri. Toko didn’t mind that. Byakuya couldn’t be all that bad if he was helping her with her novel. He could be worse. He could be a murderer. 

“Byakuya,” she asked him as she was reading over his revisions. “Why d-don’t you t-tell me how you know all these things?”

“It isn’t important,” He replied swiftly.

Toko paused. “I j-just wanted to know. I thought you d-didn’t like blood.”

“I don’t.”

“B-but you know roughly how much a p-person has to lose before they p-pass out?” Toko questioned. “How much b-before they finally d-die? How long that t-takes?”

Byakuya didn’t respond to her.

“D-do you still think this is weird?” She asked. “T-talking about serial killers for my b-book?”

“You are the one who called the obsession weird, remember? Not me.” Byakuya finally spoke up to correct her.

“It d-disturbs you,” Toko replied.

“I never told you that,” Byakuya said.

“Well you- you aren’t denying it, are you?”

“No.”

“It d-disturbs you that p-people are intrigued by serial killers. How come- why can you help me edit, b-but you won’t t-talk about Genocider Syo? They’re the one I’m- the k-killer in the book is b-based on them, after all.”

Byakuya winced. “Don’t tell me that you have found yourself becoming an actual fan of his.”

“Un- unconfirmed gender,” Toko reminded. “Did you forget?”

“No,” Byakuya insisted.

“If I t-told you- what if- what if I was a fan of his?” Toko’s attempted advances were spoiled in her mind by her own anxious stuttering.

“I would say he doesn’t deserve it. He's a murderer.”

“Byakuya,” Toko paused for a moment. “How d-do you know all of this?”

“I think you are looking for an answer I don’t want to give,” Byakuya replied.

“Will you sue me?” Toko asked.

“Will you turn me in?” Byakuya retorted harshly.

“No,” Toko said. “You- you would k-kill me.”

“I don’t want to kill you,” Byakuya’s expression seemed to crack. He looked suddenly wounded for a split second before his usual demeanour returned.

“B-but would you?” Toko’s face was a spin of slight worry and intrigue.

“I'd try not to.”

“You c-can’t accidentally plan t-to kill me, Byakuya,” Toko stammered.

“Syo is an alter of mine,” Byakuya explained. “I can’t always control myself. I’m trying to get better, I don’t want to kill people. Don’t add this to your book, by the way.”

“I- I won’t,” Toko promised. “You t-told me for a reason, right? You- you wouldn’t have said anything if you didn’t t-trust me.”

“Don’t let it go to your head.”

“You not wanting t-to kill me?” Toko attempted to tease.

“No. Me trusting you with any of this.” The sarcasm seemed to fly over Byakuya’s head.

“Will you- will you t-tell me more about Syo?” Toko asked.

“In time, maybe,” Byakuya replied. “I’ve already told you more than I've ever told anyone else.”

“Really?” Toko’s voice is weak.

“Toko,” Byakuya’s expression soured. “Don’t treat me like a story to be untangled. I’m not some poor soul who can be saved by your compassion. I want to change, but it will take more than love to get there. I ask you not to be naive. If I kill you, which I may very well do, I don’t want it to be because you were too close.”

“I d-don’t think that,” Toko assured him. “That’s irresponsible.”

“You’re being irresponsible,” Byakuya replied, noticing Toko had been steadily coming closer. “You love me.”

“I know,” Toko leaned against him. “T-this isn’t smart.”

“Then stop it,” Byakuya winced but didn’t move.

“D-don’t want to.”

“If I kill you, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“T-thanks.”

The sensation of wrapping her shaking arms around him from behind was intoxicating and warm. The fear of him made her heart pound as Toko cradled a killer in her arms. Her body and mind had been disconnected as she held him and scolded herself for wanting more of it. For wanting to hold Byakuya like this again and again. For him to wish it from her. The guilt and dissonance of knowing who she was with collected in Toko’s stomach. The tug of war between what she knew and what she wanted made her head spin. She held Byakuya tightly to balance herself.

**Author's Note:**

> Woo! My Discord friends were talking about this AU and I figured I would write it. This is definitely less funny than the original conversation, but I wanted to play around with this concept! I used some of what was discussed in the chat, like Byakuya accidentally revealing Syo's gender because I really liked them. This was a fun little oneshot to work on! Hope you liked it!


End file.
